Review: Love at First Flight by Marie Force

Casee’s review of Love at First Flight by Marie Force

Juliana is a talented hair stylist, on her way to Jacksonville, Florida, to see her long-distance—and longtime—boyfriend. While waiting for her delayed flight, she meets Michael, a prosecutor about to begin the biggest murder trial of his career, on his way to attend his engagement party in Jacksonville. Both relationships are beginning to crack under the strain of the distance, and when Michael and Juliana realize they’re booked on the same flight home on Sunday night, they agree to meet up again to compare notes.

During a disastrous weekend with her boyfriend, Jeremy, Juliana wonders if the reason he hasn’t popped “the question” during their ten years together is because he’s interested in other women. . .

Michael’s high-maintenance fiancée has always wanted the dream wedding: the big dress, the big cake, the even bigger guest list—none of the things he envisioned for himself. In the midst of their engagement party, Michael realizes his marriage to Paige is doomed before it has even begun. . .

Both of them suddenly single, Michael and Juliana commiserate on the flight home to Baltimore. In the midst of heartache, they strike up a sweet friendship that leads to passionate love.

After reading this blurb, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book. I can totally get behind a love at first sight story. It’s the fact that both characters are in a relationship at the time they meet that had me hesitant at read it.

Given my expectations, I found the book to be oddly compelling. I couldn’t put it down after I started it. How is it a romance if the hero and heroine are both in relationships? And the relationships they have with their respective significant others are not glossed over. In addition to that, I consider myself as somewhat of a prude because I don’t really like when the h/h have sex with other people even before they’re together. Call me old-fashioned. So the fact that I was so engrossed in the story really surprised me.

Juliana and Michael meet when they’re both on their way to Jacksonville, FL to meet their SO’s. They have an immediate rapport and talk for hours. Michael is attracted to Juliana from the moment he looks at her, but he shoves it back b/c he’s an engaged man. Besides, just because he was attracted to her didn’t mean that he was going to act on it. But Michael is drawn to Juliana and it’s not just because they’re both in long-distance relationships.

When Juliana and Michael part at the airport, they realize that they’re on the same flight back. They go their separate ways and that’s when it all goes downhill…for both of them.

Juliana has been with Jeremy for 10 years. He is her first and only lover/boyfriend. She can’t imagine being with other than him, which is why she is so shocked and hurt when he tells her that he’s been wondering what it would be like to be with someone else. It’s not that he doesn’t want her. He makes sure to tell her that he’s still in love with her. Jeremy was such a man. Srsly.

Juliana is crushed. Before she heads back to D.C., she tells Jeremy that she wants a 90 day separation. During that time, they will both consider their relationship and their feelings for each other. They also agree to never speak of the time they spend apart. Jeremy starts having second thoughts almost immediately. Go figure.

In another part of Jacksonville, Michael is starting to realize what it will be like to be married to Paige. With a domineering father, Paige seems unable to cut the strings that tie her to her family. Michael has always had misgivings about her family’s involvement in their relationship, but he figures that they’ll be living in another state after their married. That’s before it’s announced at the engagement party that Paige’s father has gotten him a job in FL. It really hits the fan then and Michael breaks off the engagement.

Both Juliana and Michael are a little shell shocked when they meet back up on the flight home. Juliana is heartbroken. The fact that Michael is thinking more about a big case he has starting soon tells him what he needs to know about breaking off the engagement. They intend to part ways yet again when they get off the plane, but fate has another idea for these two.

Juliana finds herself living with Michael as his roommate. She had been living in Jeremy’s house with him and can’t bring herself to live there during the three months of their separation. It’s only after they’ve been living together that Michael starts to understand that he’s been in love with Juliana since the first time he saw her. Yet her heart isn’t free.

In no time at all, Juliana falls in love with Michael. Then she finds herself in a situation that she doesn’t know how to get out of. She’s in love with two men…which one should she choose?

I did enjoy this book. The connection between Juliana and Michael was instant and strong. Juliana’s struggle with her feelings and her need to do the right thing really was an emotional read. What seemed so real is that one minute Juliana was sure she would pick Michael and then she would read a letter from Jeremy and question herself again. Eventually she did what she thought was right for herself, which I admired.

There were a couple things I didn’t like, including how Michael and Paige’s relationship was wrapped up. It just seemed too pat for my taste, especially after what Paige did throughout the book (and throughout the flashbacks in their relationship).

Marie Force really has a knack for getting the reader emotionally involved with her characters. I felt the same way when I read Line of Scrimmage and Love at First Flight is no exception. I have to give kudos to her for writing such an unconventional romance so well. The fact that she could engage my emotions throughout the whole book really is a testament to her skillfulness of storytelling.

4 out of 5

This book is available from Sourcebooks Casablanca. You can buy it here or here. No e-format available as of now.

Related Posts